With the crowd still celebrating his victory and the eyes of the world upon him, Kaizen stood and raised his sword in a gesture of gratitude and determination. The crowd in the Valkyria Arena erupted in cheers. For Kaizen, this electrifying atmosphere was like feeding a juicy and generous piece of meat to a lion that had long since gone vegan. It was obvious that the lion craved more meat after tasting the delicious first bite, just as Kaizen craved another dose of that addictive championship adrenaline.
Kaizen's victory over Teshi reverberated across the web, surprising everyone who for some reason was not watching this intense battle. And the shocked reaction of the millions of people who missed this so-called battle spectacle only made the news of Kaizen's victory over Teshi spread faster around the world, creating a wave of surprise and disbelief among VRMMORPG fans. On discussion boards, social media, and even in the Rise Online forums, reactions ranged from shock to celebration.
"NO WAY! TESHI LOST?!" exclaimed one user during a video call with his friend. He could not believe what he had just heard and immediately began checking various sources to confirm the news.
On one gaming forum, a thread titled "Teshi defeated by Kaizen - Is this really happening? Comments began to pour in, with players expressing surprise and disbelief. Some were outraged, questioning how a player as skilled as Teshi could be defeated by an 'Internet bigwig'.
On Rise Online's own platform, snippets of streamers' and pro players' reactions during and after the battle began to appear.
One popular streamer did a lengthy live broadcast commenting and analyzing the battle after it was over, with a look of shock and astonishment on his face as he discovered that Kaizen was a person who had only recently become famous.
Even Kaizen's most ardent fans were stunned by their idol's victory over Teshi. In one group of dedicated fans, messages piled up in a flurry of excitement.
"Kaizen is unstoppable!"
"Amazing, Kaizen showed his true strength!"
"I'm speechless! Kaizen is a legend!"
These were just a few of the many messages shared.
Meanwhile, in a game cafe in the east, a group of players were animatedly discussing the epic battle. Some tried to analyze Kaizen's movements, while others debated the strategies Teshi could have used to avoid defeat, only to find that even analyzing the battle in slow motion, it was hard to tell what Teshi could have done, because no one understood what Kaizen was capable of, nor why Teshi stopped moving at the last second of the battle.
In the midst of all this confusion, Kaizen was elevated to a new category of player. His victory over Teshi left an indelible mark on the history of Rise Online, sparking a wave of heated discussion and debate.
Teshi was one of the best non-evolved players on Midgard, the most densely populated world in Rise Online, so his fame and power were enormous.
The rivalry between Kaizen and Teshi quickly became a hot topic on social media. Fans of both players debated incessantly about who was really the best and what might happen in an upcoming confrontation.
At the same time that these discussions were going on, Kaizen became the center of attention at the Big Three Nations Tournament. Everyone wanted to see his next battle, now that he had captured the curiosity of millions of people. If his identity had been known, he would have been invited to be the guest of honor at shows, e-sports events, teams, and even major guilds around the world due to his exponentially growing popularity and power.
His fans already idolized him as a true hero, and his victory over Teshi only underscores that.
However, not everyone was happy with the outcome. Some of Teshi's fans were outraged and sought justifications for their idol's defeat. Blogs sprang up with heated debates, conspiracy theories, and endless discussions about what could have gone wrong for Teshi. Did he quit at the end of the fight? Did he give up? If not, why did he stop moving?
Meanwhile, Teshi, who had been unbeatable until then, was silent on his social networks with hundreds of thousands of followers. He retreated and avoided any attempt to contact the press, and in real life, he started doing push-ups nonstop to punish himself. His eyes were burning with excitement, and he seemed determined to recover from his defeat against the one who was now his greatest rival.
Kaizen, for his part, returned to the competitors' preparation room after leaving the energetic atmosphere of the Valkyria Arena battlefield. Despite his victory, he was pensive.
Beating Teshi was no fluke. I used everything in my arsenal to defeat him. Everything, really. I have no more cards up my sleeve if the next battle is as intense as this one was. Kaizen thought, feeling anxious.
The pressure of the championship was mounting, but Kaizen's mind was too busy to think about it. He knew that he had to come up with effective new strategies to get another victory to get past the quarterfinals.
As the rivalry between Kaizen and Teshi grew for the general public, the next round was approaching, and they couldn't forget that this was a worldwide event, with the best players from all corners of Midgard coming together to compete. The anticipation was enormous, and everyone's eyes were on the duels that would take place in this championship.
It took no more than three hours for the other seven battles of the eighth round to end, and the victors were revealed:
[Kaizen X - ̶T̶e̶s̶h̶i̶
Evan X ̶P̶y̶r̶e̶b̶l̶a̶d̶e̶
Ryeis X ̶D̶o̶a̶m̶m̶o̶i̶l̶
̶G̶e̶a̶r̶ ̶ X Qeidurth
̶E̶l̶d̶r̶i̶r̶t̶h̶ X Bleeding Lily
Taznaar X ̶Z̶o̶d̶i̶e̶n̶t̶i̶
̶L̶e̶f̶f̶e̶r̶y̶ X Draken
Xanthea X C̶l̶e̶s̶e̶a̶]
...
Edited by: DrHitsuji
If you want to see original illustrations of Rise Online characters, consider helping me on pa treon: Pa treon.com/NandoFalske
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https://discord.gg/bpqq9u4gS8
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